‘iPhone 5 factory’ in China closed after workers riot

Reports from China say that Apple supplier Foxconn has been forced to close its Taiyuan plant temporarily after a brawl involving as many as 2,000 workers.

The factory in Northern China employs about 79,000 people. Among Foxconn’s most high-profile clients is Apple, and it is believed that this plant is making parts for the iPhone 5. The company also supplies components for Microsoft, HP and the automotive industry.

According to The Guardian, the fight happened on Sunday night, leaving around 40 people needing hospital treatment. A police statement reported by China’s official Xinhua news agency said 5,000 officers were sent to the scene. It then took about four hours to bring the situation under control and several people were detained by the authorities.

One employee was reportedly told that the plant could be closed for up to two or three days while police investigate.

Photo via Weibo and Tech in Asia

Statements say that the violence was not apparently work related, however, the Taiwanese-owned Foxconn has come under increasing scrutiny over its working conditions. There have been incidents of violence at some of its other facilities in China, such as Chengdu in June.